Wed 26 Sep 2007
TI Corruption index 2007: Bangladesh not in top 10
Posted by Asif under Corruption , News and events , ProgressBangladesh has avoided the top 10 for the first time in 6 years and is not perceived to be one of the ten most corrupt countries in the world. Bangladesh’s ranking has improved and its better than 13 countries. However, the CPI score remained at 2.0 like last year. In effect, this means that the perception about Bangladesh’s corruption has not really improved. Only other countries have fared worse. Burma was ranked the worst.
Western governments have accused Burma’s junta — which seized power in 1988 — of turning what was once a jewel of Southeast Asia into one of its most miserable places through repression, mismanagement and corruption.
Burma’s business elite thrive by serving the generals, while many in the country go without regular food and electricity, the top U.S. diplomat in Burma, Shari Villarosa, told reporters earlier this year.
Details at BBC
September 26th, 2007 at 2:03 pm
Barring Afghanistan which is a new entrant in the SAARC, we are still the most corrupt among the South Asian nations. Choto Hoye Ashchey Prithibi!
September 26th, 2007 at 3:16 pm
Bangladesh is at No 7
September 26th, 2007 at 3:54 pm
Bangladesh descended to #19 from #8 but the score remains at 2, same as last year. Bangladesh remains the same, only some other countries got more corrupt.
September 26th, 2007 at 5:17 pm
Partey!
September 26th, 2007 at 6:52 pm
Seems, someone doesn’t want to embarrass CTG.
September 26th, 2007 at 8:03 pm
BD still remains on of the top 10 corrupt contries at # 7.
7 or 11 it doesn’t matter as these rankings pretty much says that Bangladesh still remains a gleaming beacon of corruption.
So it seems that the current CTG government’s drive to out root corruption by arresting people for keeping “bideshi mod” has not gone so well.
It is very clear that the CTG feels far more confortable to arrest teachers (DU/RU), and engineers (3 wasa engineers arrested today)rather that going after the well known corrupt businessman like “gorky”.
Source DS: Bangladesh has dropped from the position of the 3rd most corrupt country to a tied position of the 7th most corrupt in this year’s Transparency International (TI) world corruption perception index (CPI).
September 26th, 2007 at 10:51 pm
Was there an expectation of a dramatic shift in rankings after 7-8 months of anticorruption drive ? That would be unrealistic !
I think we all know corruption is deeply engrained into our system & society. Arresting top leaders which is happening now is only the start. Its a long journey. On the other hand who is arrested or who is left out is I think a different debate which can go on endlessly.
September 27th, 2007 at 12:19 am
I wonder, why so much of commitment and commotion against corruption of this CTG failed to increase the score! When Bangladesh, just at the last part of the Hasina government, came top in the corruption list, the score was 0.4 and then it improved to 2.0 in the last year of Khaleda’s rule. Current TIB report included 7 months period of CTG but how come the score didn’t improve. And that really questions the vailidity of TIB report.
Thanks.
September 27th, 2007 at 12:44 am
Adding to bitterboy’s question.
http://www.newagebd.com/front.html#e
September 27th, 2007 at 1:31 am
#8 Bitterboy
I think the score in 2001 was 1.2, not 0.4, I think that I read in prothom alo. I do not think TIB make any judgement call in this thing. So questioing the TIB report It may be mentioned at the 2001 report, TI/TIB mentioned the data has high Standard Deviation, it needs to be used carefully. The current anti corruption drive is mostly against political leaders, I think the perception of corruption is based on the corruption in the lower to grassroot level. So the analysis by TI (not TIB) does make sense.
Corruption in Bangladesh is much deeply rooted than we think. Corruption is not created by AL/BNP only. I think corruption got its biggest momentum in early 80s.
One or few corrupt politician can exist in any country (remember Japan and Tanaka), but the decentralization of corruption is most alarming which happened in Bangladesh.
September 27th, 2007 at 4:41 am
#10, Robot, it was indeed 0.4 in 2001.
For a CPI trend 2001 to 2006 and 2007, please see this graph courtesy mash.
September 27th, 2007 at 5:07 am
On Wednesday, Berlin-based Transparency International (TI) released
its Corruption Perceptions Index for 2007. The Daily Star newspaper in
Bangladesh announced the news with the headline “Bangladesh improves
on its graft image: Climbs up to 7th position from bottom of TI’s
corruption index.”
Indeed Bangladesh this year tied for the 7th lowest spot on the index
and in 2006 Bangladesh tied for the third lowest spot. However, both
in 2006 and in 2007 Bangladesh received a CPI (Corruption Perceptions
Index) score of 2.0. In other words, Bangladesh showed no improvement
in corruption between 2006 and 2007.
Read More: http://www.e-bangladesh.org/2007/09/27/the-myth-of-the-anti-corruption-drive/
September 27th, 2007 at 5:19 am
Why does the heading read “TI Corruption index 2007: Bangladesh not in top 10″ when in reality Bangladesh is still in Top 10 at #7 ?
September 27th, 2007 at 5:26 am
I think a more worrying report is this one by World bank
http://www.prothom-alo.com/index.news.details.php?nid=MTA3MjE=
Bangladesh is a far worse place to do business than last year with more obstacles and buerocracy. This has more of an ominous impact for future.
September 27th, 2007 at 5:45 am
Robot #
Rumi already confirmed my data. It was the score was 0.4 in 2001, that included last one year of Hasina’s rule. In 2002 the score was raised to 1.2, still the bottom position in CPI data.
Please see the link:
http://www.ti-bangladesh.org/CPI2006.pdf
Thanks.
September 27th, 2007 at 6:24 am
Asif S,
How would you analyze the fact that India, with 9.4% GDP growth rate in 2006-07, fared worse than Bangladesh?
September 27th, 2007 at 6:29 am
To add to my last comments, I meant the rating of the World Bank, not CPI.
September 27th, 2007 at 8:59 am
Tanim,
The ranking is 7 but Bangldesh is placed at 162 among 179 as there are several countries with the same position.
Ahbab,
I can’t explain India’s ranking. I don’t think its relevant either. We are worse off than last year as far as business/investment climate is concerned — that’s all you need to get out of that report and take action to rectify it.
September 27th, 2007 at 9:25 am
Went to ZIA for a short flight to neighboring country.
“Sir, Etihad er line ta onek lomba, apnake agae dibo”
“Dorjar nai bhai, tharahoora nai”
“Sir den na 100 ta taka, apnake ekdom line er shamne namae di”
“Dorkar nai, ami bhalo achi, dhonnyobad:
“Sir den na 100, agae di, rojar mash”
September 27th, 2007 at 10:33 am
Quite funny, Mainkar.
Rumor is, we bribed TI to move up a bit.
September 27th, 2007 at 3:25 pm
hahaha!
September 27th, 2007 at 5:56 pm
A very good illustration by Mainkar Chipay how deep rooted corrpution we have. Poverty, low income etc are driving forces.
September 28th, 2007 at 3:38 am
We cannot question TI, whatever they do is for reducing corruption. They are the benchmark for quality, the unit of measurement.
If figures look strange, then WE (Bangladesh) did something wrong, not TI. We cannot blame the dance floor if we cannot dance!
But the way I see it is that the INDEX like 2.0 is just a relative figure, and can have variation from year to year. One year 0.4 may be the lowest index, another year 1.0. So here 2.0 doesnt really mean anything year to year.
But the real measure is the RANKING, like a percentile among countries, the lower the ranking, the worse the corruption.
So on that basis, Bangladesh has climbed a few positions above the LOWEST, and no longer the “most corrupt” this year. That is a good reason to celebrate!!
September 28th, 2007 at 3:47 am
Not so soon guys……..
Around the world: Bangladesh acts to stop corruption
REUTERS
Published March 30, 1982
President A.F.M. Ahsanuddin Chowdhury called on the nation today to cooperate with the martial law authorities in stamping out corruption.
He said in a broadcast that rampant corruption had brought the nation to the edge of ruin. Mr. Chowdhury is a figurehead president with real power being exercised under martial law by the army chief, Lieut. Gen. H.M. Ershad, who staged a coup last Wednessday.
General Ershad immediately began an anti-corruption campaign and more than 230 people, including one former deputy prime minister and five ex-ministers, have been arrested.
Mr. Chowdhury said Bangladesh, which receives $ 1.2 billion annually in foreign aid , should depend more on the mobilization of its own resources.
“Bangladesh need not have been poor,” he said. “It is not because we are poor in resources. It is only because we could not manage our affairs honestly and efficiently.”
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E04E1D61439F933A05750C0A964948260
September 28th, 2007 at 3:44 pm
Some people in here bring up the ctg with any subject matter.
Bangladesh being a corrupt nation means - the country, it’s people and instutitions are all corrupt - this includes you me and all Bangladeshis.
September 28th, 2007 at 7:09 pm
While 24 draws a nice parallel from history, but if we are always looking back how can we move forward? Given the circumstances, this is our best chance for housecleaning.
End of 2008 if there is no transition to an elected govt, I will join you. Till then I would like to be optimistic.
September 28th, 2007 at 7:50 pm
Corruption! My foot!!
The army is the most corrupt of all institutions in Bangladesh. No transparency, no accountability. That is why it has been left out by the most corrupt of all!
As you may know we are very much concerned about the developments in Bangladesh. In the name of anti-corruption drive neo-fascism is taking root in Bangladesh. The corruption list is heavily tilted against democratic forces while lenient towards collaborators of the army run regime. It has mysteriously left out highly corrupt army personnel, Jamaat-e-Islami elements and blackmailed corrupt politicians through secret military police intimidation and terror tactics.The army seems to be deriving its strength from the tacit consent its getting from the Bush administration, the UK ambassador in Bangladesh and the UN secretary-general Ban who seems to have been heavily influenced by the brother-in-law cum foreign adviser Ifthekar of the the CA of CTG.
I think the Commonwealth SG Sir McKinnon has clearly spelled out the ulterior motives of this undemocratic regime in his landmark speech at New Delhi on democracy and development.
The fear and intimidation factor is slowy creeping into the minds of common folks. The army is even trying to regulate the economy through price-fixing and silly army-run bazaars. Free market economy gone nuts in the hands of democracy derailers!
The anti-corruption list has also targeted most of the big business houses which is absolutely ridiculous! After corruption they may go after the ruination of the economy! It is needless to mention that both the former PMs and thousands of AL and BNP workers from top to bottom are being detained under fascist draconian laws according to the Pakistani ISI manual on how to shatter democracy in developing countries.
The army is now stuck on a quicksand. Recent developments in Burma will have major sweeping effects on military dictatorships in Bangladesh, Thailand and Pakistan.
If the army toys with the idea of killing democracy in Bangladesh we may be heading for a bloodbath that has been artificially temporarily halted. China and India are also not happy with the current state of affairs in Bangladesh.
Therefore, the Gastrights and Crawleys should advise the Bush administration not to prop up fascist undemocratic regimes by bludgeoning democracy in the region.
September 29th, 2007 at 9:10 am
Dear richshawalla bhai (#27),
What is the source of your discovery that ‘the army is the most corrupt of all institutions in Bangladesh’???
Its better for you to ply ‘richshaw’ than go for bullshitting the Army with baseless allegations!
September 29th, 2007 at 10:12 am
EH, You will be surprised to see this.
Bangladesh coup defended by chief; He says it was needed to end corruption in public life- Charter is suspended. New york times, Mar 25, 1982
Bangladesh General citing ‘corruption’ may try ex-leaders. NY times Mar26, 1982
http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F60712FE3F5D0C758EDDAA0894DA484D81
New Bangladesh Regime arrests 200
NY times, Mar 27, 1982
http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F40C13FC3F5D0C748EDDAA0894DA484D81
Bangladeshi speak of democracy in 2 years
NY times, Mar 28, 1982
http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F40E14FA3F5D0C7B8EDDAA0894DA484D81
Around the world; Bangladesh acts to stop corruption NY times, Mar 30, 1982
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E04E1D61439F933A05750C0A964948260
US gives signal to Bangladesh; It sees no problem over the coup. NY times, Apr1. 1982
http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F1061FFD3E5D0C728CDDAD0894DA484D81
Bangladesh ruler off to slow start Apr4 1982
http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F50D11FE395D0C778CDDAD0894DA484D81
Bangladesh ousts 18 officials and recalls 15 ambassadors, Apr 19,1982
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D05E2D91139F93AA25757C0A964948260
Soldiers in Bangladesh restore order in 2 cities ( After student riot) Feb 17, 1983
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9406E3D8153BF934A25751C0A965948260
Bangladesh cholera deaths Mar 13, 1983
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9401E1D61439F930A25750C0A965948260
Bangladesh relaxes Ban on political activities Mar 26, 1983
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9903EED61339F935A15750C0A965948260
STUNNING SIMILARITIES. ha?
September 29th, 2007 at 10:53 am
Shafiq Rehman of Jaijaidin is back with his pen.
Read this article written by shafiq rehman.
http://www.somewhereinblog.net/blog/photowalablog/28734409
September 30th, 2007 at 10:19 am
The US foreign policy is duplicitous. While it is calling for ousting of the military regime in Burma it has been actively buttressing tyrannical totalitarian regimes in Bangladesh, Pakistan and Thailand.
The Chinese, Indians and Russians have invested billions in the mineral, gems and oil & gas rich Burmese delta. American double standard will strengthen the hands of the army in Burma. Agitators in the streets of Burma will simply be silenced through the barrel of the gun as the US is doing and has done in the past in Asia for decades. America has no other choice but to taste its own bitter medicine in Burma because of its immoral foreign policy. Americans should be happy that the junta has not assassinated America nominated leaders in that country. Americans have been behind many assassinations of world leaders all over the globe.
The Bangladesh army is at the root of all evils that is plaguing the country today. It was not civilians but the brutal and corrupt army that had killed former presidents, freedom fighters and thousands of soldiers and officers in the past.
It has traumatized the nation’s psyche through endless bloody coups. And now it is doing the same in a seemingly bloodless manner. It has been the most treacherous of all traitors. The army in Bangladesh is so corrupt financially, ethically and morally that it is now clearing one of the most corrupt and immoral generals the army all over the world has ever created, Ershad of all corruption and murder charges in the infamous gold smuggling case. The list of corrupt generals in Bangladesh army is endless. Tapan Choudhury and many other businessmen are witness to their corrupt practices. But fortunately for them they are at present untouchables as are the Islamic fundamentalists in and outside the army.
Where were Fakruddin Ahmed, Moin Ahmed and Hasan Mashud when Khaleda Zia and her cronies and relatives were indulging in rampant corruption? Why shouldn’t they also share the blame like Shadat Hossain and MK Anwar, as one was sitting at top of the Bangladesh Bank as its governor while money was freely flowing out of the country in front of his own eyes and the other two were her army chiefs of staff. One of her relatives is still at large through the courtesy of the army top brass.
September 30th, 2007 at 7:48 pm
@ Rumi Ahmed,
Thank you.
October 2nd, 2007 at 1:20 am
Abdul Kadir Zilani’s characterization of the military etc is laughable. I forget but a recent survey by a well known org rated army and another institution as the most trusted govt orgs. Police and politician coming out on the other extreme.
October 10th, 2007 at 2:38 pm
After this current TIB report, I got the hardest hit to my conscence about mischivious media role and the evil elites who work for themselves or group-interest or for their unseen masters. If not, we know how much blame of corruption has been loaded on on 4-party-jote government and that eventually led to the PIG [Para-military Interim Government] of Fakhruddin, Moinul-Matin, Moyeen-Masud. I’m not here trying to condone the crime of the past government or exonerate them from corruption, rather I want to say it emphatically how the biased crooked corrupt elites and their media weapon did the gdraconean disservice to the nation by thier malign mission of painting the country a failed state.
The unholy alliance of biased media, the so-called civil society and the 14-party alliance painted the jote government the most corrupt hellish tyrrant government since independence.
Now what we see in the attachecd Bar Graph of transparency scores during the last 7 years of three governments. First bar, the bottomest of position in transparency, in other words, the highest in corruption is the last year of Hasina government. The next five bars are the consecutive 5 years of transparency scores of jote government which clearly show every year, BNP- led government had been doing better , in snailed motion, though and bagged some better scores than previous year, raising the score from 0.4 to 2.0, meaning in the final year BNP government was 5 times more transparent than the last year of Hasina government. And now after so much of commotion and commitment to uproot corruption the PIG plateued the upward trend of better score.
What does the funny mystic TIB reports tell us? Doesn’t the bar graph tell us BNP jote was better than the Hasina Government as well the PIG? If not, what’s the myth and how to interpret their fuzzy-math!
I will urge bloggers to look at the reports of TIB from 2001 to 2008 and try to search the truth with open unbiased mind and scan the facts from fictions. I believe, what we read in printed media or hear and see in the audiovisual ones are not always the real pictures. Many a cases the facts are shrouded by many millions of technical evil bites, purportedly done to mislead the gullible people.
Thanks.